Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-07-20


Cleveland, with his wife, sister, and Miss
Hastings, his niece; Col. Lamont and E.
Prentiss Baily, of Utica, came down
from Holland Patent on the special
coach Coronet, at clock this morning.
number of ladies and gentlemen of the
Centennial Committee from Clinton.
Prof. Hoyt made brief address of well
come, to which the president responded
in a few words. The Utica
Jacksonians, 100 strong, with
the Twelfth United States Infantry
Band, saluted the President and his
wife as they stood upon the platform
of the coach Crowded trains have been
running to Clinton all the morning. The
Presidents special train started
at 9:15 A. NJ. An immense
crowd was at the Ontario
& Western Railroad station as the train
pulled out. They cheered the Presi-
dent and waved their hats as he stood
uncovered and bowed his acknowledge
ments.
President Cleveland and party reach
ed Clinton about 10 o'clock. An i'm
mense crowd was at the station to
greet them. They were escorted by
residence. After the parade the Presi-
dent spent an hour in receiving calls at
Mrs. Williams home, and over 5000
people were presented.
The exercises in the park did not
commence until nearly 2 o'clock. Rev.
Henry Darling, president of Hamilton
College, offered the opening prayer.
The Rev. E. P. Powell then made an
address of welcome to which the presi-
dent responded as follows:
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: 81 am by no
e
among those who celebrate the centen-
NAL of Clintons existence as a village.
Ny recollections of the place reach
backward but about thirty-six years and
my residence here covered very brief
period. But these recollections
are fresh and distinct to-day, and pleas
ant, too, though not entirely free from
somber coloring. 1t was here in the
school at the foot of College Hill that [
began my preparation for college
life, and enjoyed the anticipation
of collegiate education. We had two
teachers in our school. One became af-
forwards a Judge in Chicago and the
other passed through the legal profession
to the ministry, and within the last two
years was living further west. | read a
little Latin with the other boys in the
class. | think foundered through four
books of the Hneid. The other boys
had nice large modern editions of Vir-
gil. with big print and plenty of notes to
help one over hard places. Mine was
a little old-tashioned copy which my
father used before me, with no notes,
and which was only translated by hard
knocks [ believe I have forgiven these
other boys for their persistent refusal
to allow me the use oftheir notes in their
books. At any rate, they do not seem to
have been overtaken by any dire retri-
button, as one of them is now a rich and
prosperous lawyer in Buffalo. and the
other is a professor in yoEr college, and
orator Of to-dav's celebration.
Struggles with ten lines Of Virgil,
which at first made up my daily task,
are amusing as remembered now; but
with them I am also forced to
remember that instead of being
the beginning of higher educa-
ton for which [ honestly longed
they occurred near the end of my school
advantages. This suggests disappoint-
ment which no lapse oftime can alleviate
and a deprivation | have sadly felt with
every passing year. remember Benoni
Butler and his store. l don't know
whether he was an habitual poet or not
but | heard him recite one poem of his
own manufacture, which embodied an
account of a travel to or from Clinton in
the early days. I can recall but two
lines of the poem, as follows:
Paris hill next came in sight,
And there we Jarried over night.
remember the next door neighbors
Drs Bissell and Scollard-- good
kind neighbors they were, too-not youl
cross, Grabbed kind, who could not beal
to see boy about. 1t always g. med tC
me that they drove very fine horses, anC
for that reason [ tho ught they must be
extremely rich. | don't know that
should indulge in further recoIlectiont
that must seem very little like centen
NAL history, but I want to es
tabiish as well as 1 can my
right to be here. [ might have
spoken of the college faculty, who cas-
sncha pleasing though sober shade o
dignity over the place, and who, will
other educated and substantial citi
zens, made up the best O.
social life. I was boy then, but, not
1ithstanding, I believe [ absorbed
tasting appreciation of the intelligence
If the refnement-which made this
elightful home.
[ know that you will bear with me, my
friends. if [ yield to the impulse which
the mention of home creates and speal
of nv own home here, and how through
the memories which cluster about i
/ may claim tender relationship to you
village Here it was that our family cir
Gle entire-parents and children-livec
day after day in loving and sffectionate
converse, and here, for the last time, We
met around the family altar and thanked
God that our household wa
unbroken by death or separation
We never met together in any othe,
home after leaving this and death fol
lowing closely our departure. And thu
it is that with advancing years
survey the havoc death has mad,
and the thoughts of my ear
" home become more and NOR,
sacred, the remembrance Of this pleas
ant spot so related is revived and chast
ened I can only add my thanks for tn,
privilege of being with YOU to-day anC
wish for the village of Clinton in the fut
ure continuation and increase of the
blessings of the past.
EER